Molded seamless vehicle interior panel for concealing an airbag

ABSTRACT

The present invention involves a molded seamless vehicle interior panel having a seamless airbag door for concealing an airbag. The panel includes a retainer portion and a door portion circumscribed by the retainer portion. The retainer portion is disposed adjacent the airbag of the vehicle and has an opening to define a void over the airbag. The retainer portion has an appearance finish of an aesthetic look. The door portion disposed within the void integrally circumscribed by the retainer portion to define the seamless airbag door through which the airbag may deploy. The door portion has an appearance finish compatible to the appearance of the retainer portion such that no seam is visible. The door portion is molded together with the retainer portion and formed of a material different than the material of the retainer portion.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to vehicle seamless interior panels forconcealing and deploying an airbag.

2. Background Art

Airbags are widely known throughout the vehicle industry. Currently, anumber of designs exist in which airbags are configured for deploymentin vehicle compartments. Deployment of airbags through interior panelsof a vehicle is also widely known. An airbag for an occupant in apassenger compartment of a vehicle is typically designed to deploythrough a front interior panel of the vehicle. Typically, a hingedportion or a door portion of an interior panel allows an airbag todeploy therethrough during an impact of the vehicle, providing supportand cushion to the occupant.

However, designers of interior panels and airbags have been challengedwith providing effective deployment of an airbag while providing apleasing aesthetic appearance on an interior panel through which theairbag may deploy. Designers of interior panels have also beenchallenged to provide such interior panels in a cost effective manner.An interior panel may generally have a retainer portion and a doorportion through which an airbag may deploy. In several designs, theretainer portion circumscribes the door portion which comprises asubstantial portion of the panel. In these designs, the interior panelhas a visible seam having low resistence to normal or shear stress toallow deployment of an airbag therethrough. This seam clearlydistinguishes the door portion from the retainer portion of the panel.Manufacturers of interior panels have met the challenge with limitedsuccess in providing an interior panel as described above with anon-visible seam.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a costeffective interior panel as described above having a non-visible seam,and a method of manufacturing such a panel.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle seamlessinterior panel for concealing an airbag. The panel comprises a firstpanel portion and a second panel portion. The first panel portion isadapted to lay sufficiently adjacent to the airbag to form a doorthrough which the airbag may deploy. The first panel portion has anappearance finish. The second panel portion integrally circumscribes thefirst panel portion to form a retainer of the panel. The second panelportion has an appearance finish compatible to the appearance finish ofthe first panel portion such that no seam is visible. The first panelportion is molded together with the second panel portion. The firstpanel portion is formed of a material different than the material of thesecond panel portion.

In another embodiment of the present invention a vehicle door panel hasa seamless airbag door for deploying an airbag. The panel comprises aretainer portion and a door portion. The retainer portion is disposedadjacent the airbag and has an opening to define a void over the airbag.The retainer portion has an appearance finish. The door portion isdisposed within the void integrally circumscribed by the retainerportion to define the seamless airbag door through which the airbagdeploys. The door portion has an appearance finish compatible to theappearance finish of the retainer portion such that no seam is visible.The door portion is molded together with the retainer portion and isformed of a material different than the material of the retainerportion.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a method ofmaking a vehicle seamless panel for concealing an airbag. The methodincludes providing a first mold member and a second mold member having afirst portion and a second portion. The first mold member and the firstportion cooperates to define a first closed mold cavity configured toform a retainer portion of the panel to be disposed adjacent the airbag.The retainer portion has an opening to define a void over the airbag.The first mold member and the second portion cooperates to define asecond closed mold cavity configured to hold the molded retainer portionand to form a door portion of the panel to be disposed within the void.The door portion is integrally circumscribed by the retainer portion.The method further includes moving the first portion into contact withthe first mold member to cooperate with the first mold member to formthe first closed mold cavity and injecting a first material into thefirst closed mold cavity to form the retainer portion of the panel. Themethod further includes moving the second portion into contact with thefirst mold member to cooperate with the first mold member to form thesecond closed mold cavity and injecting a second material into thesecond closed mold cavity to form the door portion of the panel.

It is an object of the present invention to provide another method ofmaking a vehicle seamless panel for concealing an airbag. The methodprovides a first mold member and a second mold member wherein the secondmold member has a movable part operative to selectively vary theconfiguration of a mold cavity formed by the first and second moldmember when the part is moved between first and second position. Thefirst mold member cooperates with the second mold member with themovable part in the first position to define a first closed mold cavityconfigured to form a retainer portion of the panel to be disposedadjacent the airbag. The retainer portion has an opening to define avoid over the airbag. The first mold member cooperates with the secondmold member when the part is placed in the second position to define asecond closed mold cavity configured to hold the molded retainer portionand to form a door portion of the panel to be disposed within theopening integrally circumscribed by the retainer portion. The methodfurther comprises placing the part of the second mold member in thefirst position to cooperate with the first mold member to provide thefirst closed mold cavity and injecting the first material into the firstclosed mold cavity to form the retainer portion of the panel. The methodfurther includes moving the part of the second mold member to the secondposition to cooperate with the first mold member to provide the secondmold cavity and injecting a second material into the second closed moldcavity to form the door portion of the panel.

The above objects and other objects, features, and advantages of thepresent invention are readily apparent from the following detaileddescription when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle seamless interior panel forconcealing an airbag in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the seamless interior panel ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the interior panel taken along lines3—3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is cross sectional view of another embodiment of the presentinvention depicting notches and grooves formed on an interior panel;

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of yet another embodiment of thepresent invention depicting a door portion of an interior panel;

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of yet another embodiment of thepresent invention depicting a skin disposed on a door portion and aretainer portion of an interior panel;

FIG. 7 is a flow chart of one method of making a vehicle seamless panelfor concealing an airbag in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 8 is a flow chart of another method of making a vehicle seamlesspanel for concealing an airbag in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

FIG. 1 illustrates vehicle seamless interior panel 10 having a seamlessairbag door 11 for concealing airbag 16. In this embodiment, airbag 16is designed but not limited to deploy for an occupant in a vehicle'spassenger compartment. The panel 10 has retainer portion 12 and doorportion 14 integrally molded to retainer portion 12. As shown in FIGS. 1and 2, retainer portion 12 is disposed adjacent airbag 16 and hasopening 20 formed therethrough to define void 22 over airbag 16.Retainer portion 12 has an appearance finish of a desired aestheticlook. As shown, door portion 14 is disposed within void 22 to define theseamless airbag door through which airbag 16 may deploy. Door portion 14has an appearance finish which is compatible to the appearance finish ofthe retainer portion such that no seam is visible on either side of thepanel. As described in greater detail below, door portion 14 is moldedto retainer portion 12 with compatible materials such that another stepof creating a notch or a seam, which would otherwise be visible, is nolonger necessary. Door portion 14 is molded together with retainerportion 12 and is adapted to lay sufficiently over airbag 16 to form theairbag door. Retainer portion 12 integrally circumscribes or surroundsthe door portion to form a remainder or retainer of the panel. As shown,the retainer may include an entire front interior panel without theairbag door. As shown in FIGS. 2-3, retainer portion 12 has a perimeter24 about which door portion 14 is circumscribed or surrounded to formthe door through which airbag 16 may deploy. As shown, perimeter 24defines an interface 26 between door and retainer portions whereininterface 26 has a low resistance threshold to stress such that retainerand door portions 12, 14 separate when airbag 16 is deployed.

As mentioned above, it is preferred that the material of the retainerportion be compatible with the material of the door portion such thatthe interface at which the portions contact provides sufficient bondingtherebetween for a seamless appearance on either side of the panel, yetprovides a low resistance to normal and shear stress. Sufficient bondingallows door portion 14 to be attached to retainer portion 12 withoutdistinct separation of the portions during normal use of the vehicle.The low resistance to stress allows the airbag to be deployed throughthe perimeter 24 between the door portion and the retainer portion ofthe panel.

Door portion 14 is formed of a material different than the material ofthe retainer portion 12. Preferably, the retainer portion is of a morerigid material than the material of the door portion. For example, thematerial comprising the retainer portion may be a rigid material such aspolycarbonate resin containing acrylonitrile, butadiene, and styrene(PC-ABS) material, Thermoplastic elatomer ethareter (TEEE), orpolypropylene. The material comprising the door portion is less rigidthan the material of the retainer portion such as, the product havingthe trade name Santoprene™ supplied by Monsanto Co., a thermoplasticpolyolefinic (TPO) material, or a copolyester elastomer such as theproducts having the trade name DYM of E.I. duPont de Numours andCompany. The material comprising a skin (described below) may be TPO.Preferably, the materials used for the door and retainer portions arecompatible to allow the portions to bond together.

As shown in FIG. 4, in one embodiment, notch 30 may be formed on theinterface adjacent the airbag to further lower the resistance thresholdto stress or pressure. Moreover, interface 26 may also include groove 31formed thereon opposite airbag 16 to further lower the resistancethreshold to stress. FIG. 5 illustrates a cross-sectional view ofanother embodiment of the present invention wherein door portion 114extends away from an airbag opening and transverse retainer portion 112.In this embodiment, door portion 114 substantially entirely coversretainer portion 112 such that a show surface of interior panel 110shows only the material of door portion 114. In yet another embodimentin FIG. 6, top portion or skin 232 may cover both retainer portion 212and door portion 214 to provide an even more aesthetically differentshow surface of interior panel 210.

It is to be noted that, although a front interior panel is shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, interior side panels and interior pillars may alsoinclude the present invention.

The retainer and door portions 12, 14 may be bonded together by variousmeans. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, in a two-shot molding process ofmaking a vehicle seamless panel for concealing an airbag, method 310includes providing a first mold member and a second mold member having afirst portion and a second portion in block 312. The first mold membermay be a non-rotating mold half and the second mold member may be arotating mold half having a first core and a second core. Thenon-rotating mold half and the first core cooperate to define a firstclosed mold cavity which is configured to form a retainer portion of thepanel to be disposed adjacent the airbag. The retainer portion 12, asdescribed above, has an opening to define a void over the airbag. Thenon-rotating member and the second core cooperate to define a secondclosed mold cavity which is configured to hold the molded retainerportion and to form a door portion of the panel to be disposed withinthe void. When molded, the door is integrally circumscribed by theretainer portion 12. As shown in block 314, the method further includesmoving or rotating the first core into contact with the non-rotatablemember to cooperate with the non-rotatable member to form the firstclosed mold cavity. Then, a first material, as described above, isinjected into the first closed mold cavity to form the retainer portion12 of the panel as shown in block 316. The first material is held in thefirst closed mold cavity for about 10-30 seconds. Then, as shown in box318, the method includes moving the first core from the non-rotatingmember and moving or rotating the second core into contact with thenon-rotating member to cooperate with the rotating member to form thesecond closed mold cavity. Then, a second material, as described above,is injected into the second closed mold cavity to form the door portion14 of the panel as shown in box 320. The second material in the secondclosed mold cavity is held for about 0.5-2.0 minutes. Then, the secondcore is moved from the non-rotatable member.

In another example illustrated in FIG. 8, a conventional sliding coremolding technology may be used. As shown, method 410 includes providinga first mold member and a second mold member. The second mold member hasa movable part operative to selectively vary the configuration of a moldcavity formed by the first and second mold members when the part ismoved between first and second positions. The first mold membercooperates with the second mold member with the movable part in thefirst position to define a first closed mold cavity in block 412. Theterm “part” refers to a movable part of a mold which forms part of amold cavity for varying the configuration of the mold cavity, such aswith a lifter or slide. The method 410 of the present invention involvesmoving or sliding the part into a position rather than rotating a moldhalf as previously described. The first closed mold cavity is configuredto form a retainer portion of the panel to be disposed adjacent theairbag. As stated above, the retainer portion 12 has an opening todefine a void over the airbag. Next, the part is placed in the secondposition such that the first mold member cooperates with the second moldmember to define a second closed mold cavity. The second closed moldcavity is configured to hold the molded retainer portion and to form adoor portion of the panel to be disposed within the opening. Thus, thepart may be located on the second mold member proximate the portion ofthe mold cavity corresponding with the opening of molded retainerportion 12 wherein the part is movable to form the door portion 14. Thedoor portion 14 is integrally circumscribed by the retainer portion 12.As shown in block 414, the method further includes moving or sliding thepart of the second mold member to the first position to cooperate withthe first mold member to provide the first closed mold cavity. Next afirst material is injected into the first closed mold cavity to form theretainer portion 12 of the panel as shown in block 416. The firstmaterial in the first closed mold cavity is set for about 10-30 secondsthere within. Then, as shown in block 418, the part of the second moldmember is moved to the second position to cooperate with the first moldmember to provide the second mold cavity. Then, a second material isinjected into the second closed mold cavity to form the door portion 14of the panel in block 420. The second material in the second closed moldcavity is allowed to set for about 0.5-2.0 minutes therewithin.

It is to be noted that other processes may be used to bond the retainerand door portions together. For example, other processes may includeinsert molding and razing blade processes which would not depart beyondthe scope and spirit of the present invention.

While embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described,it is not intended that these embodiments illustrate and describe allpossible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in thespecification are words of description rather than limitation, and it isunderstood that various changes may be made without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A vehicle seamless interior panel for concealingan airbag, the panel comprising: a first panel portion adapted to laysufficiently adjacent to the airbag to form a door covering an openingthrough which the airbag may deploy, the first panel portion having anappearance finish; and a second panel portion integrally circumscribingthe first panel portion and having an appearance finish substantiallysimilar to the appearance finish of the first panel portion such that noseam is visible between the first and second panel portions; with thefirst panel portion being molded together with the second panel portionand formed of a material different than the material of the second panelportion, with the second panel portion having a perimeter about whichthe first panel portion is circumscribed to form the door, the perimeterdefining an interface between the first and second panel portions, theinterface having a low resistance threshold to pressure such that thefirst and second panel portions separate when the air bag is deployed,and with the first panel portion extending over the second panelportion.
 2. The vehicle interior panel of claim 1 further comprising atop portion disposed over the first and second panel portions.
 3. Thevehicle interior panel of claim 1 wherein the first panel portioncomprises a first material and the second portion panel comprises asecond material.
 4. The vehicle interior panel of claim 3 wherein thefirst material is more rigid than the second material.
 5. The vehicleinterior panel of claim 1 wherein the interface defines the opening. 6.The vehicle interior panel of claim 1 wherein the interface includes anotch formed thereon facing the airbag to further lower the resistancethreshold to pressure.
 7. The vehicle interior panel of claim 6 whereinthe interface further includes a groove formed thereon facing away fromthe airbag to further lower the resistance threshold to pressure.
 8. Thevehicle interior panel of claim 1 wherein the panel is free of any metaldoors for opening the door covering the opening.
 9. A vehicle interiorpanel having a seamless airbag door for covering an opening throughwhich an airbag may deploy therethrough, the panel comprising: aretainer portion disposed adjacent the airbag, the retainer portionhaving an opening through which the airbag may deploy, the retainerportion having an appearance finish; and a door portion disposed withinthe opening integrally circumscribed by the retainer portion to coverthe opening, the door portion having an appearance finish substantiallysimilar to the appearance finish of the retainer portion such that noseam is visible; with the door portion being molded together with theretainer portion and formed of a material different than the material ofthe retainer portion, the retainer portion having a perimeter aboutwhich the door portion is circumscribed to form the door, the perimeterdefining an interface between the door and retainer portions, theinterface having a low resistance threshold to pressure such that thedoor and retainer portions separate when the airbag is deployed, andwith the door portion extending away from the airbag and transverse theretainer portion defining a skin portion of the panel having anaesthetic appearance.
 10. The vehicle interior panel of claim 9 furthercomprising a top portion disposed over the retainer and door portions.11. The vehicle interior panel of claim 9 wherein the retainer portionis of a first material and the door portion is of a second material. 12.The vehicle interior panel of claim 11 wherein the first material ismore rigid than the second material.
 13. The vehicle interior panel ofclaim 9 wherein the interface defines the opening.
 14. The vehicleinterior panel of claim 9 wherein the interface includes a notch formedthereon facing the airbag to further lower the resistance threshold topressure.
 15. The vehicle interior panel of claim 14 wherein theinterface includes a groove formed thereon facing away from the airbagto further lower the resistance threshold to pressure.
 16. The vehicleinterior panel of claim 9 wherein the panel is free of any metal doorsfor opening the door covering the opening.